Furniture slipcover

ABSTRACT

A furniture slipcover is used to cover a piece of furniture, and includes a fabric cover body and a cover-tensioning member. The fabric cover body is configured with a space that is adapted for confining the piece of furniture therein, and has a draping portion for surrounding lateral sides of the piece of furniture. The cover-tensioning member is provided on the drape portion. By virtue of the weight of the cover-tensioning member, the cover-tensioning member applies downward pulling forces on the draping portion for spreading out the cover body when the cover body covers the piece of furniture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a furniture cover, more particularly to afurniture slipcover than can be spread out on a piece of furniture withrelative ease.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional fabric slipcovers for furniture, such as sofas, areprovided with elastic bands so as to enable the slipcovers to coverpieces of furniture fittingly. However, because of the need to stretchthe elastic bands when fitting such a fabric slipcover on a piece offurniture, and because the positions of the elastic bands on theslipcover with respect to the furniture piece to be covered are requiredto be adjusted to achieve a proper fit, installation of the conventionalfabric slipcovers is inconvenient and time-consuming. In addition, theconventional fabric slipcovers are unable to prevent small items, suchas coins, from rolling under the pieces of furniture covered thereby.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide afurniture slipcover that be spread out on a piece of furniture withrelative ease.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a furnitureslipcover than can prevent small items from rolling under a piece offurniture covered thereby.

According to the present invention, a furniture slipcover is adapted forcovering a piece of furniture, and comprises a fabric cover body and acover-tensioning member. The cover body is configured with a space thatis adapted for confining the piece of furniture therein, and has adraping portion for surrounding lateral sides of the piece of furniture.The cover-tensioning member is provided on the draping portion. Byvirtue of the weight of the cover-tensioning member, thecover-tensioning member applies downward pulling forces on the drapingportion for spreading out the cover body when the cover body covers thepiece of furniture.

Preferably, the draping portion has a bottom edge segment to be disposedin close proximity to the ground where the piece of furniture islocated. The cover-tensioning member is provided on the bottom edgesegment of the draping portion, and cooperates with the draping portionto form a barrier for preventing small items from rolling under thepiece of furniture confined in the space of the cover body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent in the following detailed description of the preferredembodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a piece of furniture covered by thepreferred embodiment of a furniture slipcover according to the presentinvention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic, partly cutaway view of the preferred embodimentwhen used to cover a piece of furniture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the preferred embodiment of a furnitureslipcover 2 for covering a furniture piece 1 according to the presentinvention. In this embodiment, the furniture piece 1 is exemplified as afoldable chair that includes a foldable chair frame 11, a seat frame 12provided on the chair frame 11, and a seat cushion 13 provided on theseat frame 12. The furniture slipcover 2 includes a fabric cover body 21and a cover-tensioning member 22.

The fabric cover body 21 includes a top spread portion 211 and a drapingportion 212 that is connected to a periphery of the top spread portion211 and that cooperates with the top spread portion 211 to configure thecover body 21 with a space 213 for confining the furniture piece 1therein. When the cover body 21 covers the furniture piece 1, the topspread portion 211 covers a top side (i.e., the seat cushion 13) of thefurniture piece 1, and the draping portion 212 surrounds lateral sidesof the chair frame 11. In this embodiment, the draping portion 212 hasan annular bottom edge segment 210 to be disposed in close proximity tothe ground where the furniture piece 1 is located. The bottom edgesegment 210 defines an opening 214 for access into the space 213.

In this embodiment, the cover-tensioning member 22 is an annular frameprovided on the bottom edge segment 210 of the draping portion 212.Preferably, the bottom edge segment 210 is formed with a pouch to holdthe cover-tensioning member 22 therein.

When it is desired to cover the furniture piece 1 using the furnitureslipcover 2 of this invention, the upper part (i.e., the seat cushion13) of the furniture piece 1 is first inserted into the space 213 viathe opening 214 such that the top spread portion 211 is disposed on topof the seat cushion 13. Thereafter, the cover-tensioning member 22 isallowed to drop to the ground. By virtue of the weight of thecover-tensioning member 22, the cover-tensioning member 22 appliesdownward pulling forces on the draping portion 212 for spreading out thecover body 21 on the furniture piece 1 with relative ease.

In this embodiment, the length of the draping portion 212 in thevertical direction is selected in accordance with the height of thefurniture piece 1 such that, when the furniture piece 1 is covered bythe furniture slipcover 2, the cover-tensioning member 22 pulls thebottom edge segment 210 of the draping portion 212 to contact tightlythe ground or to form a very small clearance with the ground. As aresult, small items, such as coins, can be prevented from rolling underthe furniture piece 1.

It is noted that the cover-tensioning member 22 should not be limited toa one-piece annular frame. In other embodiments, the cover-tensioningmember 22 can include several components, which may or may not beinterconnected.

It has thus been shown that, due to the presence of the cover-tensioningmember 22, the cover body 21 can be spread out on the furniture piece 1with relative ease. In addition, when the furniture slipcover 2 coversthe furniture piece 1, the cover-tensioning member 22 and the drapingportion 212 cooperate to form a barrier to prevent small items fromrolling under the furniture piece 1. The objects of the invention arethus met.

While the present invention has been described in connection with whatis considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isunderstood that this invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included withinthe spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompassall such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

1. A furniture slipcover for covering a piece of furniture, saidfurniture slipcover comprising: a fabric cover body configured with aspace that is adapted for confining the piece of furniture therein, saidcover body having a draping portion for surrounding lateral sides of thepiece of furniture; and a cover-tensioning member provided on said drapeportion, wherein, by virtue of the weight of said cover-tensioningmember, said cover-tensioning member applies downward pulling forces onsaid draping portion for spreading out said cover body when said coverbody covers the piece of furniture.
 2. The furniture slipcover asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said draping portion has a bottom edgesegment to be disposed in close proximity to the ground where the pieceof furniture is located, said cover-tensioning member being provided onsaid bottom edge segment of said draping portion and cooperating withsaid draping portion to form a barrier for preventing small items fromrolling under the piece of furniture confined in said space of saidcover body.
 3. The furniture slipcover as claimed in claim 2, whereinsaid cover body further has a top spread portion for covering a top sideof the piece of furniture, said draping portion being connected to andcooperating with said top spread portion to configure said cover bodywith said space.
 4. The furniture slipcover as claimed in claim 2,wherein said cover-tensioning member is an annular frame adapted tosurround the piece of furniture.
 5. The furniture slipcover as claimedin claim 4, wherein said bottom edge segment of said draping portion isformed with a pouch to hold said cover-tensioning member therein.
 6. Thefurniture slipcover as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cover-tensioningmember is an annular frame adapted to surround the piece of furniture.